May and Might 1
Possibility — Present, Future & Past — Complete Guide
May et Might 1
Possibilité — Présent, Futur & Passé — Guide Complet
Master may and might for expressing possibility, their negative forms, the past forms may have / might have, and how they compare with could and couldn't
Maîtrisez may et might pour exprimer la possibilité, leurs formes négatives, les formes passées may have / might have, et comment ils se comparent à could et couldn't
We use may and might to talk about possibility — things that are perhaps true or perhaps will happen. They are interchangeable in most cases. For the past, we use may have or might have. In this unit we also compare them with could (similar meaning) and explain why couldn't is very different from might not.
On utilise may et might pour parler de la possibilité — des choses qui sont peut-être vraies ou qui vont peut-être se passer. Ils sont interchangeables dans la plupart des cas. Pour le passé, on utilise may have ou might have. Dans cette unité, on les compare aussi avec could (sens similaire) et on explique pourquoi couldn't est très différent de might not.
May / Might — Possibility in the Present & Future
May / Might — Possibilité au présent et au futur
We use may or might to say that something is possible — perhaps it is true, or perhaps it will happen. You can use either one: they mean the same thing in most situations. The negative forms are may not and might not.
On utilise may ou might pour dire que quelque chose est possible — c'est peut-être vrai, ou peut-être que ça va se passer. On peut utiliser l'un ou l'autre : ils ont le même sens dans la plupart des situations. Les formes négatives sont may not et might not.
It may be true. / It might be true. (= perhaps it is true)
It may not be true. / She might not know. (= perhaps not)
May / Might — Positive Possibility
May / Might — Possibilité positive
May Not / Might Not — Negative Possibility
May Not / Might Not — Possibilité négative
Structure summary:
Résumé de la structure :
| Subject | Modal | Verb form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / you / he… | may / might | be (true, in his office…) | He may be in his office. |
| I / you / he… | may / might | be + -ing (doing, working…) | He might be having lunch. |
| I / you / he… | may / might | know / work / want / have… | She might know. |
| I / you / he… | may not / might not | be / know / arrive… | She might not know. |
May Have / Might Have — Possibility in the Past
May Have / Might Have — Possibilité dans le passé
For past possibility, we use may have or might have + past participle. These mean perhaps something happened / was true in the past.
Pour la possibilité passée, on utilise may have ou might have + participe passé. Ces formes signifient peut-être que quelque chose s'est passé / était vrai dans le passé.
She may have been asleep. (= perhaps she was asleep)
You might have left it at work. (= perhaps you left it there)
She might not have known about it. (= perhaps she didn't know)
Could (Similar) vs Couldn't (Very Different from Might Not)
Could (similaire) vs Couldn't (très différent de Might Not)
Could is similar to may and might for possibility. But couldn't (negative) is very different from may not / might not.
Could est similaire à may et might pour la possibilité. Mais couldn't (négatif) est très différent de may not / might not.
Could / Could Have — Possible (similar to may/might)
Could / Could Have — Possible (similaire à may/might)
Couldn't Have ≠ Might Not Have (BIG difference!)
Couldn't Have ≠ Might Not Have (GRANDE différence !)
Exercise 1 — Complete the sentences (choose from the box)
Exercice 1 — Complétez les phrases (choisissez dans l'encadré)
Choose the correct phrase for each response.
Choisissez la phrase correcte pour chaque réponse.
Exercise 2 — Complete using the verb in brackets
Exercice 2 — Complétez avec le verbe entre parenthèses
Use may or might + the correct form of the verb.
Utilisez may ou might + la forme correcte du verbe.
Exercise 3 — Might not have … or Couldn't have …?
Exercice 3 — Might not have … ou Couldn't have … ?
Choose the correct form: might not have (= perhaps not) or couldn't have (= impossible).
Choisissez la forme correcte : might not have (= peut-être pas) ou couldn't have (= impossible).
Frequently Asked Questions — May & Might
Questions fréquentes — May & Might
In most cases, may and might mean the same thing and are interchangeable. Both express possibility. ✓ It may be true. = ✓ It might be true.
Dans la plupart des cas, may et might ont le même sens et sont interchangeables.
Maybe (one word) is an adverb meaning perhaps: 'Is it true?' 'Maybe. I'm not sure.' May be (two words) is the modal verb + be: It may be true.
Maybe (un mot) est un adverbe signifiant peut-être. May be (deux mots) est le verbe modal + verbe.
Might not have = perhaps it didn't happen — we're uncertain. Couldn't have = it was absolutely impossible.
Might not have = peut-être que ça ne s'est pas passé — on n'est pas sûr. Couldn't have = c'était absolument impossible.
For positive possibility, could ≈ may/might: It could be true = It may/might be true. But couldn't = impossible, while might not = uncertain.
Pour la possibilité positive, could ≈ may/might. Mais couldn't = impossible, tandis que might not = incertain.
Use may have or might have + past participle. Negatives: may not have / might not have + past participle. Continuous: may have been + -ing.
Utilisez may have ou might have + participe passé. Négatif : may not have / might not have + participe passé.
⚙️ Quiz SettingsParamètres du Quiz
Ready to Go Further? Explore Our Courses
Prêt à aller plus loin ? Découvrez nos formations
From CPF-funded courses to exam prep — find the right programme for your level and goals
Des formations éligibles CPF aux préparations aux certifications — trouvez le programme adapté
CPF English Courses
Formations Anglais CPF
Use your CPF budget to fund a complete English programme. Flexible, online, results-focused.
Utilisez votre CPF pour financer une formation complète en anglais.
Discover →Découvrir →All Courses & Programmes
Tous nos cours & formations
Individual lessons, group classes, and intensive programmes for every level.
Cours individuels, classes en groupe et formations intensives.
Browse →Parcourir →English Exam Preparation
Préparation aux certifications
Targeted prep for TOEIC, IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge and more.
Préparation ciblée TOEIC, IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge et plus.
Prepare →Se préparer →